Dedicated Education Unit: Enhancing Clinical Teaching and Learning

Project Description

Two pilot Dedicated Education Units (DEUs) will be established to create a learning community of nursing students and staff. The DEU aims to enhance learner outcomes by actively engaging them in real life placements within this new context. An action research process will be adopted throughout the course of the project. The units will also be independently evaluated by staff from Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology.

Update - the first major output from this project is now available - Enhancing Nursing Education through Dedicated Education Units considers the benefits of a DEU model, including the following key findings:

The quality of the planning, welcome, and orientation are key factors influencing student learning experiences
The roles of the Clinical Liaison Nurse, the Academic Liaison Nurse, and the Charge Nurse Managers significantly impact on the success of a DEU
Peer support and teamwork are key contributors to the success of a DEU, including student and staff interactions

Read a news item about the report

Project Team

Dr Willem Fourie (Project Leader), Manukau Institute of Technology
Beverley McClelland (Project Leader), Counties Manukau District Health Board
Doreen Mak, Counties Manukau District Health Board
Derlys Jones, Counties Manukau Health Board
Denise Kivell, Counties Manukau District Health Board
Allison Lovelock, Manukau Institute of Technology
Debbie Penlington, Manukau Institute of Technology
Sheona Watson, Manukau Institute of Technology

Project Funding

$94,044 GST exc.

Key Dates

Project commencement - late 2008.
Expected project completion - mid 2011.

Project Outputs

Enhancing Nursing Education through Dedicated Education Units (June 2011). This report considers the benefits of a DEU model, including the following key findings:

The quality of the planning, welcome, and orientation are key factors influencing student learning experiences
The roles of the Clinical Liaison Nurse, the Academic Liaison Nurse, and the Charge Nurse Managers significantly impact on the success of a DEU
Peer support and teamwork are key contributors to the success of a DEU, including student and staff interactions

Presentation about the project at the Ako Aotearoa Research in Progress Colloquium 2010 (clink on ppt image to left)

Presentation about the project at the Ako Aotearoa Research in Progress Colloquium 2009 (clink on image to left)

More information about the project

Both MIT and CMDHB are committed to providing the best possible educational outcomes for nursing students through high quality teaching and clinical learning experiences. The primary focus of the DEU is on quality education through the appointment of a Clinical Liaison Nurse, and an Academic Liaison Nurse and the commitment of staff to facilitate and enhance learning in an environment conducive to teaching and learning. Teaching and learning are interactive components of the educational activities in a DEU as students will be actively engaged in real life learning while the staff of a DEU constantly extend and improve their practice as a result of their interaction with active nursing students. A DEU by nature requires very close cooperation between the educational provider and the clinical provider which n turn will promote educational outcomes in a partnership characterised by deeper understanding and commitment to education for nurses.

The following structures have been created to develop, oversee and manage the project.

CNDU Governance Group

The project will be overseen by a governance group consisting of key MIT and CMDHB personnel. The role of the Governance Group is to develop roles/processes/ evaluation criteria; oversee day to day implementation and report to the Collaborative Nursing Development Unit (CNDU).

Research Management Team

Willem Fourie (MIT) and Bev McClelland (CMDHB) will form the Research Management Team. This team will oversee the action research and its various cycles by liaising closely with the Action Group, the Governance Group and Rose Whittle from CPIT.

Action Group

The Action Group facilitated by the MIT Clinical Coordinator will meet weekly and are primarily concerned with:

Co-ordinating day-to-day operational issues within the two DEU’s
Monitor student/staff satisfaction
Facilitate staff communication
Provide feedback and support to pilot areas
Participate in the action research.

Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology:

CPIT is the only New Zealand based nursing school with first hand experience of a DEU. As a form of triangulation, CPIT will act as an independent evaluator of the integrity of the action research project and will provide feedback for consideration by the team.

The following objectives have been identified for this project:

Document the process of implementing the DEU's
Evaluate the model’s potential ability to support undergraduate nursing students within CMDHB
Make recommendations to the CNDU on completion of the project as to the model’s suitability for use as an ongoing undergraduate nursing clinical education.
Build research capacity through team research between MIT and CMDHB.